{"id":3466,"date":"2013-07-02T07:13:32","date_gmt":"2013-07-02T07:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=3466"},"modified":"2024-08-10T12:08:44","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T19:08:44","slug":"610","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/610\/","title":{"rendered":"Animage<\/em> Vol. 26: Staff Messages"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Messages from the Yamato<\/em> Staff Room<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

Behind the voices of the main staff are the unsung heroes who endure unrewarding drudgery every day and don’t come out into the spotlight very often. We decided to give these staff members a questionnaire.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The questions:<\/h3>\n

1. What are the names of the people in your department?
\n2. What is your job description?
\n3. What is your progress as of June 15?
\n4. What are the highlights?
\n5. What is your present condition?
\n6. What is your message to the fans?<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Production Assistant\/Progress\/Records<\/h3>\n

1. Your names<\/em><\/p>\n

\nAssistant Directors: Hideki Takayama, Ang Tai Hong
\nPacekeeper (progress checker): Koji Sekiguchi
\nRecording: Yoko Kuroishi<\/p>\n

\n2. Job description<\/em><\/p>\n

\nArt\/animation checking<\/p>\n

\nTakayama:<\/em> I serve coffee to the staff and comfort them as well as I can…exaggeration!<\/em> Having fun while work progresses. But I guess I ordered more retakes than any other staff member.<\/p>\n

\n3. Progress as of June 15<\/em><\/p>\n

\nIt’s good that more of the animation cels are getting done in the latter half of the production, but more checking is needed, so that is tough.<\/p>\n

\n4. Highlights<\/em><\/p>\n

\nTakayama:<\/em> Battle scenes and the intimacy between Alphon and Yuki.<\/p>\n

\nHong:<\/em> Heroic scenes of Yamato<\/em> attacking the enemy, Mamoru Kodai sacrificing himself to save another, and the sad love of Mio.<\/p>\n

\n5. Your present condition<\/em><\/p>\n

\nTakayama:<\/em> To work with the Yamato<\/em> staff in the staff room is fun and interesting because everyone is a unique person. Painful work is always painful, but now that we’re in the latter half we’ve entered the photography stage and we’re getting closer to the real thing.<\/p>\n

\nHong:<\/em> Until now, I have only worked in Korean Television, but now I work on the Yamato<\/em> staff, checking animation for an original feature film. Everyone in the staff room is wonderful to work with and I look forward to doing my best while discussing new ideas in various ways. But having no time to myself and putting it all into Yamato<\/em> production is a bit hard.<\/p>\n

\n6. Message to the fans<\/em><\/p>\n

\nTakayama:<\/em> Study hard!
\nHong:<\/em> Beautiful dreams to you…<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Coloring Department<\/h3>\n

1. Your names<\/em><\/p>\n

Once Princess, Keiko Abe
\nSato-san, the pony tail goldfish
\nYoshiko Sekiguchi, from Iscandar
\nKiyomi Fujihashi, the pure (pristine) beauty as the name says
\nChizuko Masukawa, Badminton lover
\nKuniko Murata, Glorious East-Murayama Citizen
\nJunko Yamada, devilish sadistic
\nMasako Yamauchi, Alien
\nKazuko Yoshimura, Fuku-man Fuku-chan
\nJunko Furuya, ‘Necchu Jidai’ [TV Drama title, means ‘Passionate Days’]\nAnother Beauty, Mitsuko Goto<\/p>\n

\n(I asked the coloring chief to introduce the staff; these are his original words. -Editor<\/em>) <\/p>\n

\n2. Job description<\/em><\/p>\n

\nApplying color to the back of a cel<\/p>\n

\n3. Progress as of June 15<\/em><\/p>\n

\nToday (June 15) is like someone’s thin hair; not very crazy. It will get busy in July.<\/p>\n

\n4. Highlights<\/em><\/p>\n

\nThey are not sure how to answer this, since their work has just started -Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Original Animation<\/h3>\n

1. Your names<\/em><\/p>\n

\nTadashi Shirakawa, Michihiro Kanayama, Tatsuji Kino, Akihiro Ogawa, Takao Sakano, Teruo Hattori, Keiko Shibata, Yoshinobu Usuda, Toshiaki Kobayashi, Takashi Abe, Mario Ishiyama, Shigeo Matoba <\/p>\n

\n(In this case, a lot of the animation work is outsourced; it was only possible to introduce the in-house team. -Editor<\/em>)<\/p>\n

\n2. Job description<\/em><\/p>\n

\nOriginal picture [key frames] and animation. <\/p>\n

\n3. Progress as of June 15<\/em><\/p>\n

\nCompletion of the key frames. The animation drawing is in full swing. <\/p>\n

\n4. Highlights<\/em><\/p>\n

\nMatoba:<\/em> How will Yamato<\/em>‘s launch turn out?<\/p>\n

\n5. Your present condition<\/em><\/p>\n

\nMatoba:<\/em> I was in charge of Yamato<\/em>‘s launch scene; figuring out how the rocks crumble was very complicated without going over the schedule. Rather exhausted.<\/p>\n

\nHattori:<\/em> I was not readily familiar with a realistic narrative tone and had a hard time with it, probably because I grew up with Toei Animation (pastoral and manga-like).<\/p>\n

\nSakano:<\/em> I cannot project my true nature as a joker into work that is not comfortable.<\/p>\n

\n6. Message to the fans<\/em><\/p>\n

\nSakano:<\/em> Anime lives through scenes of people. If the people in those scenes are not alive, it is not anime, but just [an imitation of] live-action.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Trace & Finishing Inspection<\/h3>\n

1. Your names<\/em><\/p>\n

\nTrace:<\/em> Kimiyo Okuyama, Kazuko Kurosawa, Reiko Igarashi, Sonoe Sakano, Mihoko Irie<\/p>\n

\nFinishing check (Inspection):<\/em> Hiroshi Morita (chief), Masahiro Nakamura, Masatoyo Kobayashi<\/p>\n

\n2. Job description<\/em><\/p>\n

\nTrace:<\/em> making a copy of animation layout drawings. [Translator’s note: Trace machines were used at the time to electrostatically transfer a pencil drawing onto a blank cel so that the inking stage could be skipped.]\n

\nFinishing inspection:<\/em> checking the color application, color specification, and the cel. It is nerve-wracking work because it is the final stage of completion. [Before photography.]\n

\n3. Progress as of June 15<\/em><\/p>\n

\nTrace:<\/em> 15.7% of the whole.<\/p>\n

\nFinishing inspection:<\/em> Compared to the previous Yamato<\/em>, this one is quite behind schedule, but we have to do it anyway.<\/p>\n

\n4. Highlights<\/em><\/p>\n

\nMorita:<\/em> The improvement of the size and scale; please look forward to it.<\/p>\n

\n5. Your present condition<\/em><\/p>\n

\nIrie:<\/em> Nothing has happened yet because we’ve just gotten stared. Let’s hope it’s not that tough.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Special Effects<\/h3>\n

1. Your names<\/em><\/p>\n

\nYoshiaki Okada, with glasses (Yamato<\/em> Chief)
\nShoji Sato, nicknamed “Uncle” (Yamato<\/em> Sub)
\nChiaki Hirao, Special effects star
\nNoboru Sekikawa, School teacher type
\nKeitaro Hama, the oldest walking dictionary
\nMasayuki Kawauchi, the only bachelor<\/p>\n

\n(This is how the chief introduced the special effects members. Most of them except Mr. Okada and Mr. Sato are now engaged in other TV projects and will join up later when Yamato<\/em> becomes hectic. -Editor<\/em>)<\/p>\n

\n2. Job description<\/em><\/p>\n

\nSpecial effects:<\/em> hand shading, brushwork, and blurs caused by touch, and effects such as transparency through glass. These effects are used substantially in SF and mecha anime, and Yamato<\/em> Part 3 is no exception. It can’t be done without explosions, rocket fire, and other special effects shots.<\/p>\n

\n3. Progress as of June 15<\/em><\/p>\n

\nAs of June 6, our part is finally underway. Up to now, we’ve been making various patterns and doing repeated tests. <\/p>\n

\n4. Highlights<\/em><\/p>\n

\nOkada:<\/em> I want everyone to see the new technical things we are attempting, particularly the engineers; please have a look. <\/p>\n

\n5. Your present condition<\/em><\/p>\n

\nOkada:<\/em> Going to the video center to test things such as Scanimate compositing; time spent looking at developing technologies has been the most enjoyable. During the homestretch, the lack of sleep is likely to be painful. <\/p>\n

\n6. Message to the fans<\/em><\/p>\n

\nOkada:<\/em> This is not just to Yamato<\/em> fans, but everyone: please become a general anime fan. And please pursue it in various ways. <\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Art Department<\/h3>\n

1. Your names<\/em><\/p>\n

\nHageshi ‘Geki’ Katsumata, Yamato<\/em> Shadow Captain
\nYuko Kobayashi, Alphon’s lover
\nKumi Iijima, Yamato<\/em> cooking chef
\nYoshiharu Ishigaki, father of background art division
\nKiyomi Aoki, Yamato<\/em>‘s utility
\nHidetoshi Kaneko, one and only calm and steady
\nNoriko Akahoya, last days of Starsha
\nHiromi Hido, background princess
\nMasayoshi Ichihara, grand master of background
\nAkiko Isimori, cool beauty Yuki Mori
\nKazumi Kudo, star in space
\nFumio Akutsu, background art progress <\/p>\n

\n(We asked the chief to introduce the staff. -Editor<\/em>)<\/p>\n

\n2. Job description<\/em><\/p>\n

\nScenic artwork.
\n(A) create an image board to determine the visual aspects.
\n(B) paint the backgrounds to harmonize with the characters. <\/p>\n

\n3. Progress as of June 15<\/em><\/p>\n

\nWe are very late. <\/p>\n

\n4. Highlights<\/em><\/p>\n

\nAkahoya:<\/em> The backgrounds, of course. <\/p>\n

\n5. Your present condition<\/em><\/p>\n

\nIt was a pleasure to meet the various staff members.
\nIijima:<\/em> I am sleepy!
\nAoko:<\/em> Painful…it is not possible to write about all of it in this space. <\/p>\n

\n6. Message to the fans<\/em><\/p>\n

\nAoki:<\/em> Don’t even think about another Yamato<\/em>
\nKobayashi:<\/em> I hope there’s no Part 4. <\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Photography<\/h3>\n

1. Your names<\/em><\/p>\n

\nYukio Katayama, incurably sympathetic
\nYoichi Takanashi, Careless Tora-san [famous live-action movie character] the second
\nTamio Hosoda, loves mountains and the natural vegetables there
\nYoshio Ai-iso, effortmaker and ambitious for winning
\nMasao Shimizu, bookworm
\nToshiharu Takei, self acclaimed handsome(?) and forever young
\nHiroshi Meguro, house cleaning lover
\nShigeyoshi Ikeda, heavy drinker
\nMasatoshi Fukui, skillful baseball player
\nJiro Yoshimura, loves Igo and Shogi more than meals
\nNobuhiro Yamada, travel lover
\nKenji Machida, Idea man <\/p>\n

\n(The chief introduced each of the staff members -Editor<\/em>)<\/p>\n

\n2. Job description<\/em><\/p>\n

\nPhotography [of art & cels]. We match the characters with the backgrounds and shoot one frame of film at a time. Setting up a shot in the camera is very laborious and time-consuming. We do our best. <\/p>\n

\n3. Progress as of June 15<\/em><\/p>\n

\nBecause we haven’t started photography yet as of June 15, there is no work being done. But we’re doing various tests right now. <\/p>\n

\n4. Highlights<\/em><\/p>\n

\nMost of all, the (censored) of the (censored) changes. [Translator’s note: the censored words were “size” and “screen,” in reference to Warp Dimension.]\n

\n(The “surprise on screen” was touched upon in this issue’s Nishizaki interview, but it is still a top secret at the present moment and will not be disclosed until the premiere. -Editor<\/em>)<\/p>\n

The End<\/h3>\n

Special thanks to Sword Takeda for translation assistance<\/em><\/p>\n

\nContinue to the next article<\/a><\/p>\n

\nReturn to the Be Forever<\/em> Time Machine<\/a><\/p>\n

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